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Career

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure

What they do

Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent. Conduct research to support a legal proceeding, to formulate a defense, or to initiate legal action.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $62,890 Median per year · $30.24/hr Most earn $44,740–$101,500

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prepare, edit, or review legal documents, including legislation, briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.
  • Arbitrate disputes between parties and assist in the real estate closing process, such as by reviewing title searches.
  • Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.
  • Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning.
  • Keep and monitor legal volumes to ensure that the law library is up-to-date.
  • Appraise and inventory real and personal property for estate planning.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 40,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Legal services75.1%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals5.0%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service4.2%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals3.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)2.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Some remote workExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Paralegal work is usually not an entry-level job straight out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree and then spend about 2 to 4 years in a related legal or office role before stepping into paralegal work.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build strong reading, writing, and research skills, which are the core of everyday paralegal work.

  2. Bachelor's degree (any major, ideally with writing or legal studies courses)

    4 years

    A bachelor's degree is the typical education expected for paralegal roles, and courses in writing, government, or legal studies make you a stronger candidate.

  3. Legal Secretary

    2-4 years

    You learn how law offices and courts work, handle filings and case files, and get comfortable with legal terms and deadlines before taking on research and drafting.

  4. Paralegal

    Ongoing

    You investigate facts, research case law, and draft legal documents to support lawyers on their cases.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Paralegal

    3-5 years of experience first

    You handle more complex cases on your own, manage larger document projects, and may train newer paralegals.

  2. Paralegal Supervisor

    5+ years of experience first

    You oversee a team of paralegals, assign work, and manage case workflow for a law office or legal department.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take English, writing, and government or civics classesThese classes build the reading, writing, and understanding of law that paralegal work depends on.
  • Join debate, mock trial, or a student government clubSpeaking up, arguing a point, and researching both sides of an issue are close to what paralegals do every day.
  • Get a part-time job or volunteer at an office or courthouseOffice and filing experience gives you the basics that employers look for in legal support roles.
  • Learn basic typing and computer softwareFast, accurate typing and comfort with word processing and spreadsheets will help you in any law office.

In college

  • Choose a major with strong writing and research, or add a legal studies minorA bachelor's degree is the usual starting point, and legal studies or writing courses show employers you understand the field.
  • Look into a paralegal certificate program at your schoolMany colleges offer these programs, which teach legal research, drafting, and court procedures that employers value.
  • Apply for an internship at a law firm, court, or legal aid officeHands-on work with real cases helps you build experience that paralegal jobs usually require.
  • Take a campus job in an administrative or legal clinic officeWorking with records, deadlines, and clients builds the organization and office skills you will need after graduation.
  • Join a pre-law or legal studies clubNetworking with students and speakers from the legal field can lead to internship tips and job leads.

Tips for getting started

  • Keep your grades up in English and writing classes, since clear writing is one of the most important skills for this job.
  • Ask a local law office, court, or legal aid group if you can volunteer or shadow someone for a day to see the work up close.
  • Look at the paralegal job ads in your area to see which skills and degrees employers ask for, and use the career page to see typical pay near you.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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